How to refresh tired eyes and dark eye circles

Written by: Lucy Partington

Updated on: 19th June 2025

Modern life – staring at screens, stress and sleepless nights – can all have an impact on how your eyes look and feel. While all of those things can affect different people in different ways, such as accentuating exhaustion and weariness, the appearance of dark circles, tiredness, puffiness and sagging skin are all very common concerns that a lot of people can face.

But don’t worry: if this all sounds familiar, we’re here to help. Addressing dark circles and refreshing tired eyes can help restore a youthful look, and over time that can enhance self-esteem and confidence.

Here, we break down the causes of dark circles and tired eyes, along with arming you with the right tools and knowledge to help reduce their appearance. Plus, the products we believe can make an incredible difference.

What causes dark circles and tired-looking eyes?

The appearance of tired eyes can develop for a few different reasons, and add to that eye bags, under-eye wrinkles and dark circles, and chances are you’re feeling like you look exhausted all the time – even if you’re managing to get a decent amount of sleep each night.

But what actually causes dark circles and that unwanted tired-looking appearance? Well, there are a few different things, which can include:

Skin ageing:

Collagen levels deplete as we age, leading to a lack of elasticity and thinner skin, which can amp up the appearance of tired eyes.

Lack of sleep:

Insufficient amounts of sleep can cause blood vessels around and under the eyes to dilate, leading to circles and puffiness.

Eyestrain and digital devices:

Extended use of phones, laptops, iPads and other electronic devices can strain the eyes, leading to them looking tired and puffy.

Lifestyle habits such as smoking:

Smoking reduces blood flow and starves the skin of much-needed oxygen, which can contribute to bags.

Fluid retention:

Most often caused by high salt intake, fluid retention can cause swelling and puffiness.

Dehydration:

Lack of water intake causes a dull, sunken appearance which can highlight both dark circles and bags.

Allergies:

Allergies can lead to inflammation and swelling, causing puffiness.

Delicate skin area:

Skin around the eye area is extremely delicate, which makes it more prone to showing signs of fatigue.

Sun damage:

Sun exposure can break down collagen and elastin, leading to dark circles, fine lines and bags.

Genetics:

Oftentimes genetics play a huge part in dark circles and puffiness, and some people are unfortunately predisposed to the development of them, but it’s important to remember that they are completely natural and embracing them can be a great act of self-love.

Hyperpigmentation:

Uneven tone and pigmentation in the skin underneath the eyes can result in dark circles, making your eyes look tired.

13 different ways to reduce dark circles

1. Incorporate eye creams into your skincare

We always suggest adding a moisturising eye cream into your nighttime skincare routine as early in your life as possible as it’s one of the easiest ways to tackle tired-looking eyes.

Plus, ensuring you keep your skin nourished is a great way to help prevent the onset of fine lines and wrinkles, which can cause your eyes to have that telltale exhausted look. As well as that, it’ll help improve the elasticity and resilience against puffiness and darkening in your delicate eye area.

And remember that, just like everything else in your skincare routine, consistency is key so ensure you are applying it each night to ensure you’re getting the results that you want.

2. Indulge in an eye massage

Eye massage is a great way to help even out skin tone and reduce inflammation. It’s really easy to do, too, simply tap your index and middle fingers in a gentle circular motion around your sockets, across your brows and along cheekbones. It’ll also help enhance lymph drainage.

3. Try these skincare ingredients to revive dark circles and tired-looking eyes

Caffeine:

Found in Medik8’s Advanced Day Eye Protect Cream, caffeine helps to target dark circles and puffiness for a more rejuvenated appearance, while SPF30 and 5* UVA protection shields the eye area from the damaging effects of UV rays along with environmental stressors.

Vitamin A/Retinol:

As well as helping to stimulate collagen production and thicken the skin, vitamin A also makes underlying blood vessels less noticeable, restores skin firmness and improves dark circles. Find it in Medik8’s r-Retinoate Eye Serum powered by our exclusive encapsulated retinyl retinoate - proven to be 8x more powerful than standard retinol*. It’s also in Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye Cream, a powerful line-reducing, hydrating formula bolstered with retinal – and that won’t cause irritation.

*H. Kim et al., Synthesis and in vitro biological activity of retinyl retinoate, a novel hybrid retinoid derivative, Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 2008, 15;16(12), pp 6387-93

Niacinamide:

A real multi-tasking wonder ingredient, a little bit of this can go a long way when it comes to waking up tired eyes. A form of vitamin B3, niacinamide has a lot of benefits, including brightening and softening the look of lines and wrinkles.

Hyaluronic acid:

A moisture-boosting ingredient used in Medik8 Illuminating Eye Balm, it has the unique ability to hold up to 1000x its own weight in water to leave the complexion visibly nourished and supple. Hyaluronic acid helps support pro-ageing by smoothing the appearance of fine lines and crepey skin.

Ceramides:

It’s been proven that ceramides are able to mimic the skin’s natural moisturising systems, and studies* have also shown that they are incredibly effective in preventing dehydration, which is a common cause of dark under-eye circles.

*Source: National Library of Medicine

Azelaic Acid:

One of skincare’s best-kept secrets, higher concentrations of azelaic acid can reduce the appearance of dark circles caused by sun damage. It’s an ingredient that can be layered with brightening ingredients for more dramatic results.

Vitamin K:

An antioxidant with powerful anti-inflammatory properties that is said to help improve circulation.

Vitamin C:

Known and loved for its antioxidant protection against harmful free radicals while supporting collagen production. Found in Medik8's C-Tetra Eye, vitamin C will help reduce dark circles and dark spots while visibly brightening and deeply nourishing the under-eye area.

Vitamin E:

Introducing a combination of vitamin E and almond oils both contain anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that, when used in the under-eye area, can help lighten dark circles and reduce puffiness.

Matrixyl® 3000** (pronounced 'ma-TRIX-ul 3 thousand'):

A combination of peptides which help to 'trick' the skin into producing more collagen for a visibly smoother, firmer and plumper eye area, as found in Medik8's Advanced Night Eye that transforms the look of tired looking eyes.

**MATRIXYL 3000 is a trademark of Sederma Inc.

4. Protect your eyes in the digital age

In the world that we live in today, it’s more important than ever to take screen breaks. Excessive time spent staring at screens can cause eye strain, and due to the engorgement of blood vessels surrounding the eyes, it can lead to dark circles. We also recommend investing in blue light glasses and lenses which can help ease the strain.

5. Your sleep can make all the difference

Get enough sleep:

Proper, deep sleep allows your body to release the required hormones to improve skin’s elasticity, which can prevent fine lines, wrinkles, crow’s feet and sagging occurring in the eye area.

Change how you sleep:

If you’re a front sleeper it may be worth considering trying to sleep on your back with an extra pillow so fluid doesn’t pool overnight. Ensuring your pillow is protected from allergens – like dust and dust mites – with a protective case can help with allergies.

Get into a good sleep routine:

Try to be consistent with what time you go to sleep, avoid looking at your phone for at least 30 minutes before bed, and don’t be tempted to sleep in, even if you’ve had a disturbed night.

6. Protect against the sun

It’s important that you always wear sunglasses when you’re outside. Just as effective as using sunscreen around your eyes, sunglasses with 100% UV protection really can make a huge difference. It’s also worth knowing that blue light from the sun is much more intense than that from screens, making it a huge factor in causing skin damage. Blueberry seed oil is a great ingredient to look for as it’s rich in antioxidants and helps protect against blue light damage.

7. Beauty trends to conceal tired eyes

Ice masks:

✓ Place a mask in the freezer for a couple of hours

✓ Remove from the freezer and gently place over your eye area

✓ Leave it on for 10-15 minutes to help reduce puffiness and to refresh the eyes

✓ Repeat daily or as often as needed

Cold spoons:

✓ Place two small metal spoons in the fridge or freeze for around half an hour

✓ Remove and gently place the curved side against the under-eye area

✓ Hold the spoons in place for a couple of minutes, or until they start to warm up Repeat as needed to help reduce swelling

Jade eye massagers/gua sha:

✓ After cleansing, apply a light layer of your chosen eye cream or serum

✓ Using the jade massager or gua sha, gently massage the under-eye area in a brisk sweeping motion, starting at the inner corner and reaching out to the temple

✓ Use light pressure and repeat 5-10 times on each eye

✓ Repeat daily to help boost circulation and reduce puffiness

Under-eye patches:

✓ As well as being popular on social media, under-eye patches can be incredibly effective too due to the fact they offer a more targeted approach than masks designed to use all over the face.

✓ Look for ingredients like hyaluronic acid, caffeine, peptides, niacinamide and vitamin C to help hydrate, de-puff, brighten and smooth the skin.

✓ Simply apply your chosen patches to clean, dry skin and ensure they adhere well.

✓ Leave on for 20-30 minutes before removing Repeat as often as necessary to help hydrate and reduce puffiness.

8. Make dietary changes

Stay hydrated:

It’s important to drink more water as the more hydrated you are, the less likely you are to wake up with puffy eyes.

Boost vitamin C:

Eating fruit, like oranges, strawberries and kiwi, which are all high in vitamin C can help support collagen production.

Add antioxidants:

Food rich in antioxidants, like berries, leafy greens and nuts can protect skin from damage and help reduce dark circles.

Healthy fats are good:

Omega-3 fatty acids from salmon, walnuts and flaxseed can maintain skin health and reduce inflammation

Reduce salt intake:

By cutting back on sodium you can help prevent fluid retention and in turn, minimise eye puffiness.

9. Improve the air quality around you

This sounds tricky, but improving air quality is as easy as using a high-quality air purifier in your home. Clearing the air you breathe can help reduce the number of allergens and irritants that eyes can often come into contact with, helping them look less tired.

10. Tackle allergies with antihistamine tablets

Allergies are often a little-known cause, or contributor, to dark circles and puffy eyes. We suggest investing in over-the-counter antihistamines to help with any reactions you may be having. You can consult your doctor or pharmacist for recommendations if needed.

11. Home remedies for dark circles

Caffeine:

Particularly effective for dark circles, the caffeine found in black and green tea may help narrow blood vessels and reduce the blue colour. They can also help target bloat by drawing out fluid.

Cucumbers:

High in vitamin C and folic acid, cucumbers can help stimulate cell growth and counter environmental stress, leading to less irritation and puffiness, as well as a reduction in under-eye discolouration. Placing slices over your closed eyes can also help soothe and hydrate skin.

Tea bags:

Steep two tea bags in hot water, leave them to cool and then place them over your eyes for 10-15 minutes to target puffiness and dark circles. Green tea is likely to be more effective thanks to higher flavonoid levels (which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits) while the added caffeine may help improve skin elasticity and reduce the appearance of dark circles.

12. Try some eye exercises

It’s no secret that eye strain can contribute to the appearance of tired eyes because it reduces the production of (naturally lubricating) tears, which can also cause dry eyes.

However, introducing some gentle eye exercises can be simple, such as shifting your focus as you sit, or blinking rapidly for a few seconds before closing your eyes and relaxing for a few seconds, repeating several times to moisten and refresh your eyes.

Introducing face yoga can also help boost circulation and reduce eye strain.

13. Dark circle eye treatments

Filler:

Tear trough fillers, or the newer polynucleotides treatment, are the best option for immediately brightening the under-eye area.

Laser treatment:

With minimal pain, they work to help correct any existing pigmentation and stimulate collagen production.

Chemical peels:

They work by stimulating new cell growth and encouraging collagen production, in turn helping to reduce wrinkles, lighten dark areas, reduce any puffiness and generally rejuvenate the area.

Surgery:

The most extreme treatment, blepharoplasty is a procedure that surgically removes excess skin from the eyelids, which can help reduce the size of bags, in turn making dark circles less visible.

Skin routine to refresh tired eyes and dark circles

You can tackle signs of stress and work to help reduce dark circles and fine lines or wrinkles by targeting your under-eye area in your daily skincare regime.

It’s worth noting that a well-formulated routine that includes daily application of a broad-spectrum sunscreen (with a minimum of SPF30) is ideal for helping to improve most concerns around the eye area.

An example routine for your eye area could include Medik8 C-Tetra Eye serum, which is formulated with vitamin C to help brighten, smooth and reduce dark circles. That can then be followed up with Medik8 Advanced Day Eye Protect, which can be gently patted around the eyes and focused on any areas with visible dark circles or puffiness. It’ll help hydrate, protect from damaging UV rays and ensure eyes look awake.

Step 1: Cleanse or scrub

Start by gently pressing Medik8 Eyes & Lips Micellar Cleanse over your eyes, and then incorporate a gentle face scrub or exfoliating cleanser, like Surface Radiance Cleanse, to slough away dead skin cells and to leave your skin looking radiant.

Step 2: Additional eye treatments

Revitalise the eye area and diminish stubborn dark circles with your choice of simple yet effective treatments that can easily be incorporated into your weekly skincare routine. Using chilled tea bags (opt for green, which are rich in antioxidants and caffeine) for 10 minutes two to three times a week can make a visible difference to tired eyes.

Or you can wind down with cucumber slices for 10-15 minutes three times a week to help soothe, rejuvenate and hydrate the skin. Eye masks can also be incorporated into your routine around twice a week, or for an instant cooling effect, use cold spoons or ice masks. Chill them in the freezer and apply over your eyes for a few minutes whenever you need a quick pick-me-up.

Adding these treatments to your skincare routine a few times a week can help keep your eyes looking bright and well-rested.

Step 3: Apply a serum

It’s no secret that a well-formulated brightening serum can make a world of difference. Look for products formulated with ingredients like vitamin C or peptides. Even better, try layering different brightening products in both your AM and PM routines for an extra added boost – and not forgetting to use sunscreen in the daytime.

Remember that the best way to apply a serum is to gently tap it into the skin with your fingertips. They’re also best used before moisturisers and eye creams because not only does that allow time for it to penetrate effectively, but serums have a lighter consistency and are specifically formulated to deliver active ingredients deep into the skin.

Step 4: Depuff

At this stage, you can introduce a gentle facial massage. Use your hands or a gua sha/jade roller to help encourage blood flow and boost circulation, and to help get rid of excess fluid to reduce the appearance of any puffiness.

Step 5: Soothe with an eye cream

Finish your daytime routine by tapping on an illuminating eye cream bolstered with sun protection, such as Advanced Day Eye Protect, which is formulated with a hardworking blend of UV filters, antioxidant moringa extract, carnosine (an effective peptide), and caffeine to reduce the size of blood vessels around the eyes and hesperidin which improves blood circulation to tackle the appearance of dark circles.

Using a pump of Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye, or a couple of drops of Intelligent Retinol Eye TR pressed around the eyes will hydrate skin and minimise the look of fine lines and wrinkles. Vitamin A is great for using in the under eye area as it helps target both dark circles and wrinkles, plus both of these serums have been specifically formulated to be gentle around the delicate eye area.

Remember that hydration is key, and in the evening we suggest Advanced Night Eye, which nourishes the delicate under-eye skin while visibly brightening under-eye darkness through the night as well as helping to smooth and firm the area.

Step 6: Finish

As always, your daytime routine should finish with a high-protection sunscreen to protect skin against damage caused by the sun’s UV rays, while you can finish your evening routine with a hydrating moisturiser, such as Advanced Night Restore.

FAQ's

Why do my eyes look dull and tired?

It can be due to a few reasons, including a lack of sleep, dehydration, excessive screen time, long drives, late nights, diet and lifestyle along with sun damage. It can also be health-related, or even because of either the central heating or air conditioning.

How do you make tired eyes look brighter?

There are a few ingredients worth looking out for, including caffeine, vitamin A, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid which will work to help boost collagen, reduce puffiness, and hydrate the area which will reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Gentle facial massage can also help brighten tired eyes.

Are dark under-eye circles permanent?

In some cases, dark under-eye circles are hereditary and are therefore permanent – if this is the case for you then remember it’s entirely natural and learn to accept them can help boost your confidence. If the dark circles aren’t hereditary,  you can improve their appearance with the right products and some lifestyle or diet changes.

Can dark circles be removed?

In short, no, and dark circles are entirely normal and nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about. However, the skin around our eyes is unique and naturally thinner and is also more prone to changes in colour and texture. However, using expertly formulated products designed for that specific area can be helpful.

Can you get rid of dark circles through skincare alone?

There is only so much skincare can do, but consistently using well-formulated products containing proven ingredients will help. 

Does retinol get rid of dark circles?

Retinol won’t be able to completely get rid of dark circles but it can help improve their appearance! Retinol – or vitamin A – works by stimulating the production of collagen, which in turn can thicken the skin and improve the look of dark circles. Opting for a formula specifically created to use around the eyes is key, as is using it consistently and being patient.

Lucy Partington

Lucy Partington has been a beauty editor for over a decade and has written for titles including Stylist, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, British Vogue and GQ Middle East. She loves trying new sunscreens, cleansing her face at the end of a long day and is on a constant quest for glowing skin.